The American Girl
by Mari the Cryptic
Summary: "And, as silly as it was, my thoughts kept getting pulled back to the girl from earlier. I didn't know why, but she sparked my interest. I couldn't help fascinate about how her hair flew in the wind while she ran, how she paused in her obvious rush to apologize for running into someone, how mesmerizing her eyes were. Why did she intrigue me so much?" HOA One-Shot Day 2013


**This is a sort of Fabina one-shot for HOA One-Shot Day 2013. It's all in Fabian's Point of View, and all about Nina's first day at the infamous boarding school. Enjoy!**

There was a flash of sandy blonde hair.

"Omph!"

"I'm so sorry!"

I caught a glimpse of the girl's face before she disappeared. Blue-green eyes and pale skin yet flushed in the cheeks, both slightly consealed by long hair that fell in curls.

I think I noticed an accent in her voice, which Patricia confirmed when she asked, "Who's the American?"

Joy shrugged and they started walking back to the school building. I lingered back to watch the retreating figure of the mystery girl before following after Joy and Patricia, questions swimming through my head about who she was. I didn't recognize her from any of my classes. She wasn't in a uniform. Did she even go to this school?

**xXx**

Classes went by really slowly. But then again, they always went slowly. I know what you're thinking, 'Gasp, but Fabian, you're a geek! You're supposed to love school and stuff! You can't think that it's boring!' Well, news flash, not all geeks like school.

And, as silly as it was, my thoughts kept getting pulled back to the girl from earlier. I didn't know why, but she sparked my interest. I couldn't help fascinate about how her hair flew in the wind while she ran, how she paused in her obvious rush to apologize for running into someone, how mesmerizing her eyes were. I couldn't stop thinking about who she was or why she would be here. And the whole train of thought was just stupid, because I only met her once for about a second.

So why did she intrigue me so much?

I returned to Anubis House when school finally let out. After dressing in normal clothes, I hung around the living room where everyone was, save for Mick, who was out on a jog. Patricia had just come downstairs after rushing up to find Joy, who didn't come back after being pulled from class by our principal.

"Has anyone got Joy's home number?" she asked as soon as she stepped into the room.

"Why, wasn't she in your room?" Mara asked.

"No, and all of Joy's things were replaced and gone, except for her cell and a photo. So, anyone? Joy's home number?" Patricia glanced across the room. I didn't know it, and apparently neither did anyone else. She sighed in disappointment and moved across the room. "I can't believe no one's got her home number."

"That's because this is her home. Just call her phone!" Amber decided to pipe in. No offense to blondes, but Amber was as ditzy as they could come. Her father was crazy rich, which was the only explanation I could get for how Amber got through primary school.

"Amber, keep up," Patricia said impatiently, "I've already told you she left her phone behind."

"So text her." Amber said, like it was obvious.

"Stupidity leak," Patricia tapped the blonde's perfect head before sitting in an empty chair.

"So they've already got someone else in her bed?" I picked up the conversation. Maybe I could learn more about this new girl and finally stop thinking about the girl that bumped into Patricia.

"Yeah, it's that girl we saw in the taxi." Oh great. So it was the same girl. Now we shared a house, where I'd have to interact with her. That wouldn't get her out of my thoughts at all. Ignorant to my internal struggle, Patricia informed the rest of the house. "She's American and she's like totally obsessed with it. She said it like a hundred times."

"And Joy's just gone?" Mara asked. Patricia nodded. "That really is weird."

"Maybe," Alfie pitched in. Oh no, here we go again, "Joy's been abducted by aliens and the new girl is one of them."

"Maybe the new girl is an alien in a flesh suit." Jerome added to humor Alfie.

Patricia and Jerome started arguing again about disappearing and Alfie was spouting things about aliens. In the midst of the noise, I returned to the science magazine in my lap, which I was reading earlier before Patricia came in.

And suddenly, there was silence. I glanced up from the article to find everyone looking to something behind me. I turned, and sure enough, in all her glory, there was the new girl. It was the first time I got a good look at her. She was quite pretty: high cheekbones, thick lashes, and an uncertain yet dazzling smile. Her skin was not, in fact, pale but peachy like it had a healthy amount of sun. She wore a black-and-white pullover and black shorts.

After a short pause of silence, she waved and spoke, "Hi, I'm Nina, I'm from America." She had a lovely voice.

When no one responded, I blurted a quick, "Hey" to fill the silence.

My reply was a thankful smile and "Hi" directed to me. I couldn't help but feel to blood burn under my cheeks, but fortunately, Alfie grabbed her attention before anyone could notice by standing up and declared, "Welcome, space girl. Or... blerp bleep blap, as they say in your language." Jeez, why couldn't I have been in a normal house? Thankfully, she laughed along with everyone else.

Trudy came in to save the day. "Supper's ready!" Everyone moved across the room to the dining table, all taking their regular seats. No one was assigned anywhere, but on the first day we all sat down randomly and stuck to taking the same seat every meal.

Nina glanced around in confusion around the table. Oh man, I should probably tell her to sit anywhere. Before I could open my mouth, she shrugged and sat in the open seat... right in front of me.

"That's my seat." Amber told her, standing with a pepper shaker in hand.

Nina stood up quickly. "Oh, I'm sorry, do you want to-"

"Ah, where's Mick?" Amber interrupted.

"Um, I don't even know who you are so..." she trailed off nervously. Amber shoved the pepper shaker into her hand and stalked out of the room. Nina slowly sat back down.

"You heard what Amber said, that's her seat." Patricia said rudely.

"Yeah, but she's not here right now." Nina replied. Wow, I think that's the only time anyone's ever talked back to Patricia (besides Joy, obviously). Normally they run away in terror toward the opposite direction.

"That's your way, isn't it?" Patricia continued, "Someone's gone for five seconds and you're already moved in?"

"Patricia is head of the welcoming commitee." I blurted out with sarcasm. What was I doing? I hardly ever talk to new people without at least a day of awkward silence. Alfie even chuckled, something I don't think I ever made him do unless he was pranking me. "Take no notice, just sit wherever you like." Why was I talking directly to her? What was I doing? The first 'hey' was just to fill the silence and strike up some more hellos. That was my thing. Strike the match of conversation and then add the occasional twig of words to the fire.

The kind smile she gave me was worth it though. I glanced away, suddenly feeling very flustered.

Supper was in silence, unless you counted the music of klinking silverware and the swish of noodles and sauce mixing together. And, of course, Alfie instigated the voices when he shoved a massive amount of pasta into his mouth.

"Stop it, Alfie, that's disgusting!" Mara said. Jerome laughed. "And you're probably going to choke on it!"

"But it's delicious this way." Alfie said through the mouthful.

"Alfie, don't play with your food," Jerome said, faking maturity before flinging a forkful of spaghetti at him. Alfie then picked up two handful and threw it at him. Jeez, not again. Jerome threw salad. Alfie threw more pasta, but his aim was off and hit Nina. Jerome threw salad at me.

"Really, guys, every meal?" I said to them, wiping tomato juice off my cheek. Nina pulled her long hair back into a ponytail.

"Oops, sorry!" Patricia suddenly spoke rather loudly. She was holding the water pitcher and then poured it all over Nina's front. Nina stood up sharply with a shrilly squeal.

"Classy, Patricia." I glared softly at the dark-haired girl.

"What?" she asked innocently, "It was an accident."

"Are you okay?" I asked Nina. Oh, and now comes the outspoken concern. Man, I was on a roll today.

"Yeah," she said, wringing the wet pullover. "Except, I think my sweater's shrinking to my body as we speak." I got up and went into the the kitchen to grab some napkins.

I heard the rest of the conversations from there. "So, Nina," Patricia continued to talk, "when are you going to tell us what you know about Joy's disappearance?" Oh, you have to be joking. She couldn't have actually believed that Nina knew anything.

"I guess when I actually know something." Nina replied. She sounded a bit tired, like Patricia was questioning her about the same thing a lot already.

"Oh, come on." I entered the dining room again. Patricia was standing and was having a stare-down with Nina. "One minute, I'm sitting next to Joy in class, and the next, she's disappeared and you've taken her place." I handed Nina some napkins. I heard the phone ring from the hallway. "Bit of a coincidence, don't you think?" I started wiping away some of the pasta with some napkins, though only in the appropriate places. There was some sauce on her lower neck, but I deemed it too low without looking like a pervert. And getting the bit on her cheek would be too awkward. I settled for wiping at the water and specks of spaghetti on her arm and shoulder. Jeez, actual contact with her now, Fabian? You really are on a roll.

"I guess it is." Nina said tiredly.

Alfie started laughing. "Maybe she snatched her and locked her in the cellar. Wooooo..."

"Shut up, Alfie." Patricia snapped. She turned back to Nina. "Well?"

"Like I said, I don't know anything about Joy, or her disappearance."

Patricia glared at her. "I'll get it out of you. Eventually."

"Nina!" Victor entered the room. Great. "Phone call for you..." His voice trailed off as he took in the mess. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Patricia spoke back with innocence. "Just Nina spilt water everywhere."

Nina shot Patricia a look before ditching the napkins on the table and leaving with Victor. Jerome and Alfie threw bits of noodle as an aftermath of their war.

"Guys, cut it out." I snapped, getting annoyed. I made my way to the kitchen and got a glass of water. Maybe Nina would like it, I didn't see her drink anything during supper.

"Fabian, take a... how do they say it in America? A 'chill pill'?" Jerome told me. I glared at him through the window.

"Yeah, take a chill pill, dude." Alfie laughed. He said it with his best American accent, which wasn't very good, but caused everyone to laugh.

"But did you really have to start a food fight?" I continued before they could answer. "It's Nina's first night, you could at least try to welcome her politely." I kept my gaze on Patricia while I spoke.

"But this is politely." Alfie insisted. "If she doesn't get used to the food fights on the first night, she never will. I wonder if aliens have food fights... dude." This sent people into another round of laughing, which I joined in before entering the hall through the kitchen door...

Which only led to me finding Nina, no longer on the phone, crying. I froze up a bit (what are you supposed to do when a girl is crying?!), laughing smile off my face, glass of water in my hand. Her elbows were on the table that held the phone, hands over her eyes, but I could still see the tears rolling down her cheeks.

Oh no. What do I do? What should I say? Should I say anything? Jeez, why me? The words came out before I even realized it, "Is everything okay?" Of course, nothing's okay! Fabian, why'd you ask something so stupid? The girl's crying for God's sake!

"Oh!" She looked up in surprise, wiping at the tears. "Yeah," she brushed off with a grin, but I knew she wasn't. "Yeah, it's just... allergies. You guys have cats, right?"

I gave a tentative smile. "No," I said. I knew she was lying. I wanted to comfort her. But how could I? I was a total stranger that she's barely had a conversation with.

"Then it's just me and this soggy sweater." She gave up the happy facade as she got up. I noticed all the sadness she was bottling up in her eyes, still wet with unshed tears. She practically ran up the stairs. I stood in the same spot, mouth partially open as if to call out to her, which I knew deep down would never happen.

Why couldn't I have been in a normal house? Why did my housemates always have to push people away?

Questions kept forming and de-forming, then reforming again in my head as I entered the kitchen again. Supper was official over now, everyone was forced to clean up by Trudy. Mick came back from his jog and had showered, so he sat at the vacant table at ate while Trudy filled him in. When Trudy left into the kitchen, I finished up collecting the placemats.

Nina finally returned, now wearing a pink sweater. She's also taken her hair down. She sat in the seat I was sitting in before supper and started reading a magazine.

"So what do you think of the new chick there." Mick asked. He was looking at Nina (who else, Fabian, there's only one new girl!).

"I think the new girl looks nice." I shrugged while glancing over at Nina. Her hair was long, falling like a curtain as she dipped her head to read. I turned away sharply before I could mentally comment on anything else.

"Oh really?" Mick said tauntingly, fixing me with a funny look.

"No, I meant she seems nice." I covered up, maybe too quickly. Trying not to get the blood burning under my cheeks again, I got the rest of the placemats and started making my way back to the kitchen.

"Of course you did." I heard Mick say jokingly before I exited. I rolled my eyes. There was Mick, my roommate and the guy who is always trying to tease me into getting a girlfriend. Maybe I didn't want a girlfriend, did he ever think about that?

I grabbed a deck of cards from my room before sitting at the dining table. I started making a house of cards, but after awhile I could help but glance over at Nina. I wonder if she knew I was going to, because at the same moment, she looked up at me and smiled. Like having a swarm of angry butterflies in my stomach, I returned the gesture with a small, nervous smile before focusing intensely on the cards so I wouldn't look up at her again. Incidentally, my house fell apart right when I looked back at it.

Great.

After about an hour of struggling to make a house of cards, I gave up and bid everyone goodnight. I returned to my room, but no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't get Nina Martin out of my head.


End file.
